The National Plant Biosecurity Status Report 2019 Contents Foreword 7 Cotton 82 INTRODUCTION 9 Dried fruits (grapes) 83 Australia's plant resources 10 Forestry 84 Features of 2019 12 Ginger 86 Growing threats of plant health 13 Grains 88 Plant biosecurity highlights in 2019 14 Hazelnuts 90 CHAPTER 1: AUSTRALIA'S PLANT BIOSECURITY SYSTEM 17 Honey bees 92 Lychees 94 Australia's plant biosecurity system 18 Macadamias 95 Plant biosecurity framework and legislation 20 Mangoes 96 The Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity 20 Melons 98 The National Plant Biosecurity Strategy 20 Olives 99 National committees 21 Onions 100 Biosecurity legislation 23 Passionfruit 101 Biosecurity emergency response agreements 23 Pineapples 102 Plant biosecurity statutory levies 24 Pistachios 103 Government roles 24 Processing tomatoes 104 The Australian Government 24 Production nurseries 106 State and territory governments 28 Rice 108 Non-government roles 34 Rubus 109 Plant Health Australia 34 Stone fruit 110 Peak plant industry bodies 36 Strawberries 111 Private sector 36 Sugarcane 112 Research funders and providers 37 Sweetpotatoes 114 The community 37 Table grapes 115 CHAPTER 2: PROTECTING AUSTRALIA'S PLANT RESOURCES 39 Tea tree 116 Protecting Australia's plant resources 40 Truffles 117 National priority pests 41 Vegetables (including potatoes) 118 National Priority Plant Pests 41 Walnuts 122 National action plans 43 Wine grapes 123 National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases 44 CHAPTER 4: PRE-BORDER AND BORDER BIOSECURITY 125 Plant industry biosecurity preparedness 45 Biosecurity planning for plant industries 45 Pre-border and border biosecurity 126 Contingency planning 56 Pre-border biosecurity 127 Environmental biosecurity preparedness 57 Obligations under international trade agreements 127 CHAPTER 3: PLANT INDUSTRY PROFILES 65 Pre-border activities to mitigate the risks from imports 129 Regulating imports to manage risk 130 Almonds 68 Other international activities 134 Apples and pears 70 Ensuring Australian exports meet required standards 135 Avocados 72 Border biosecurity 143 Bananas 74 Collaborations to reduce border biosecurity risks 143 Blueberries 76 Government screening and inspection 144 Canned fruits 77 National border surveillance program 146 Cherries 78 Protecting our northern coastline 146 Chestnuts 79 Post-entry plant quarantine 147 Citrus 80 CHAPTER 5: PLANT PEST SURVEILLANCE AND DIAGNOSTICS 149 Community involvement in domestic quarantine 204 The biosecurity obligations of all Australians 204 Post border biosecurity – plant pest surveillance and diagnostics 150 The role of local government 204 Plant pest surveillance 151 On-farm biosecurity 205 Oversight of plant pest surveillance 151 Biosecurity extension and engagement programs 206 Government surveillance programs 153 Biosecurity manuals for producers 209 Industry surveillance strategies and programs 154 Managing pests on farm 210 General surveillance programs 156 Australia’s weed biosecurity system 211 Plant pest surveillance programs in 2019 158 Coordination of weed management 212 Diagnostics – identifying plant pests and diseases 166 Preventing the entry of new weeds 212 Oversight of national plant biosecurity diagnostics 166 Weed surveillance 213 National Diagnostic protocols 168 Eradication and containment of weeds 214 Diagnostic services in Australia 172 Managing established weeds 214 National reference collections 172 Handbook for the Identification of Fruit Flies 178 CHAPTER 8: PLANT BIOSECURITY RD&E 217 Online systems supporting plant biosecurity 179 Plant biosecurity research, development and extension 218 AUSPestCheck 179 National Plant Biosecurity RD&E Strategy 219 CHAPTER 6: POST-BORDER BIOSECURITY – ERADICATING NEW Australian Government agencies and statutory authorities 219 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 219 PLANT PESTS 181 Australian Research Council 220 Post-border biosecurity – managing plant biosecurity emergencies 182 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 220 National plant biosecurity response arrangements 183 Plant Innovation Centre @ Post-entry Quarantine (pic@peq) 220 Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed 183 Research and development corporations 222 PLANTPLAN 184 Agrifutures Australia 222 National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement 184 Cotton Research and Development Corporation 223 Preparing for plant biosecurity incidents 185 Forest and Wood Products Australia 223 Reporting a plant pest or disease 185 Grains Research and Development Corporation 223 Biosecurity Incident Management System 185 Hort Innovation 224 National Biosecurity Response Team 186 Sugar Research Australia 224 National communication arrangements 186 Wine Australia 225 Training in biosecurity emergency responses 187 The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative 225 Notifications and responses in 2019 189 State and territory governments 226 National response plans 189 University and private research institutes 226 Other plant pest notifications 189 Collaborative research arrangements 226 Centre for Crop and Disease Management 227 CHAPTER 7: POST-BORDER BIOSECURITY – CONTROLLING Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation 228 PESTS AND WEEDS 195 Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis 228 Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation 228 Post-border biosecurity – controlling plant pests and weeds 196 Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products 228 Domestic quarantine 197 Plant biosecurity RD&E projects in 2019 230 Subcommittee on Domestic Quarantine and Market Access 197 Restrictions on interstate travellers carrying produce 197 APPENDICES 265 Restrictions on interstate movement of commercial consignments 198 Organisation contact details 266 Official control of quarantine plant pests to protect overseas trade 199 Glossary 268 Australia’s regionalised pests 199 Acronyms 270 Preventing the spread of fruit flies 203 INDEX 273 Figures Tables Figure 1. Australia’s varied climatic zones 10 Table 1. Plant and environmental biosecurity legislation across Australia 23 Figure 2. Gross value of plant and animal production industries in Australia, Table 2. Plant Health Australia members 35 1972-2019 11 Table 3. Australia’s National Priority Plant Pests 41 Figure 3. 2019 annual rainfall compared to historical rainfall observations 12 Table 4. The top 10 National Priority Plant Pests 42 Figure 4. 2019 annual mean temperatures compared to historical temperature Table 5. Current biosecurity plans covering Australia's plant industries 45 observations 12 Table 6. High Priority Pest threats 46 Figure 5. Key components of Australia’s plant biosecurity system 19 Table 7. Contingency plans 58 Figure 6. National government biosecurity committees and working groups Table 8–46 Inductry specific High Priority Pest lists 68 with a plant focus 22 Table 47. Australian Government import policy advice, final and in progress 131 Figure 7 Comparative value of Australia’s plant production industries, based on Table 48. Australia's export legislation, administered by the gross value of production, 2017–18 67 Department of Agriculture 135 Figure 8–87. Industry production data 69 Table 49. Market access achievements for pollinator and plant product exports Figure 88. Entity responsibility for biosecurity risks, first points of entry (ports) 144 from Australia since 2000 138 Figure 89. Biosecurity risk pathways regulated by NAQS 146 Table 50. Australia's post-entry plant quarantine facilities 147 Figure 90. National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance System framework 152 Table 51. Australia's plant biosecurity surveillance programs 158 Figure 91. Surveillance programs by target host 158 Table 52. National Diagnostic Protocols 169 Figure 92. Surveillance programs by target pest type 158 Table 53. Australia’s diagnostic services, their capabilities, accreditations and Figure 93. National Diagnostic Protocol endorsement process 168 collections 173 Figure 94. RD&E projects by pest type 230 Table 54. Responses to plant pests under EPPRD arrangements 190 Figure 95. RD&E projects by research type or location 230 Table 55. Plant Pest detections notified under the EPPRD in 2019 192 Figure 96. RD&E projects by project value 230 Table 56. Australia’s regionalised pests 199 Figure 97. RD&E projects by biosecurity areas 231 Table 57. Biosecurity manuals for producers 209 Figure 98. RD&E projects by crop type 231 Table 58. Sales of plant chemicals in Australia, 2016–19 210 Table 59. Plant biosecurity RD&E projects 232 Case studies Introduction International Year of Plant Health 13 Chapter 1 Primary representatives and advisors for plant and environmental biosecurity 25 National Biosecurity Statement 27 Chapter 2 National workshop prioritises action on Khapra beetle 43 New program to prepare for Xylella fastidiosa 44 Preparedness for vegetable leafminer 46 Review of environmental risk management 56 Chapter 4 Regulating bulk grain imports to safeguard Australia’s biosecurity status 134 New measures to stop the arrival of unwanted pests with cut flower imports 136 Visit by biosecurity partners from the Pacific 137 Chapter 5 Annual Surveillance Workshop 2019 152 Citrus Surveillance and Pest Triage Workshop 153 Forest pest surveillance in NSW 154 Biosecurity Pathways and Surveillance Strategy Workshop 156 Botanic Gardens Biosecurity Network 157 Building skills through the Diagnostic Residential Program 166 Annual Diagnosticians’ Workshop 2019 167 Chapter 6 Exercise Crown and Anchor 185 Exercise Blueprint for the cotton industry 187 Workshop